ARCADIA >> Police are urging shoppers to be cautious after two armed robberies were reported recently at the Westfield Santa Anita mall, including one where a woman was pistol-whipped, officials said.

A San Gabriel woman in her early-40s was near the west side of the Nordstrom store in the mall parking lot, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., when she was attacked just after 9:20 p.m., Wednesday, according to Arcadia police Sgt. Brett Bourgeous.

“Officers contacted the victim of a robbery who advised that she was hit over the head with a black semi-automatic handgun and robbed of her purse and cellular phone,” police said in a written statement.

The robber ran to a nearby car with a getaway driver waiting at the wheel, officials said. The car sped south through the parking lot and disappeared. The woman was treated at a hospital for a laceration to her head.

Police described the gunman only as a tall, skinny man wearing a hooded sweatshirt. No description of the driver was available, but the suspects’ vehicle was described as a small, silver or gray SUV.

Another similar armed robbery was reported in the south parking lot of the same mall about two weeks earlier on Aug. 4, according to the police statement.

A robber brandishing a handgun approached an 18-year-old Arcadia man as he walked to his car about 10:10 p.m., Bourgeous said.

“The suspect made off with the victim’s wallet and cell phone,” the sergeant said. The victim suffered no injuries.

Officials described the gunman as a black man in his 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, of thin build, wearing a bandanna covering his face. He was last seen fleeing on foot with a second male suspect. No further description of the accomplice was available.

Detectives noted similarities between the crimes and were looking into a possible connection, though a concrete link had not been established, Bourgeous said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Arcadia police at 626-574-5151. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Brian Day has covered crime and breaking news for the Southern California News Group since 2007. He’s a graduate of California State University, Fullerton and Cerritos College in Norwalk. He loves dogs and has a pet German shepherd, which in turn, has a pet cat. Brian is a local news junkie, a licensed drone pilot and a part-time science geek with an unfortunate predilection for puns.

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